Shavington school governor warns a child could die in massive slurry pit

The planned two million gallon slurry lagoon is four metres deep and nearly as big as two Olympic swimming pools

by Belinda Ryan

08:00, 24 Sep 2014Updated18:08, 23 Sep 2014

Shavington High School

CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a two million gallon slurry pit close to Shavington High School have warned Cheshire East it is too late to worry about health and safety after someone has died.

Residents from Shavington, Rope and Willaston are furious that Barthomley farmer Paul Abell has applied to Cheshire East for permission to build the four metre (12ft) deep lagoon on land off Rope Hall Lane in Shavington.

Shavington High School governor Peter Shields is one of more than 120 people who have so far written to the council opposing the scheme on health and safety grounds.

“When someone has an accident or worse is killed by the dangers within the pit, the council must take its share of responsibility,” said Mr Shields. “The council has a responsibility to its residents, and 800 school children will be in a very vulnerable place if the application is granted.”

Shavington resident Andrea Roberts said: “This is a dangerous thing to even consider near a school where children have natural curiosity and also are faced with stupid challenges which they undertake so as not to lose face with their peers. It is a fatal accident waiting to happen.”

Shavington Parish Council is so concerned it called an extraordinary meeting on Monday night to discuss the application and councillors were unanimous in their opposition to it.

Cllr Ron Clarke told the meeting: “The worrying thing, from my point of view, is the kids going to school. All the kids in the summer months are going to come across that footpath, immediately adjacent to that slurry pit and it’s 12 or 13 foot deep.”

Cllr Kevin Gibbs said: “Can you imagine getting in 13/14 foot of ‘mire’? There is no chance of getting out.”

The parish council also expressed its concerns about the smell and the large volumes of traffic and road safety issues as well as the possibility of flooding.

And she repeatedly criticised the lack of information provided by Cheshire East Council about the scheme.

Cllr Bill MnIntyre wanted to know why a Barthomley farmer six miles away had to use Shavington as a dumping ground.

The parish council admitted they were in the dark as to what type of waste would actually be dumped in their area saying the application lacked detail.

Cheshire East yesterday told the Chronicle the agent had told its planning officers that the lagoon will be used solely to store manure produced by animals kept on the holding.

The parish council said there were no animals at present on that land so the slurry would have to be transported.

Ward councillor Brian Silvester said the proposed lagoon was nearly the size of two Olympic swimming pools -’and also deeper’.

“The roads to access the site are very narrow, there are no footpaths and no street lighting,” he said. “It is expected that two million gallons of slurry a year will be brought to the lagoon and the thousands of lorries required to transport it will be a danger on these narrow roads. There are no plans showing how the slurry will be isolated from the watercourses, especially in time of heavy rain when it might overflow to adjacent fields.”

The application states the nearest property would be 350 to 400m away. It also states there would be no increase in traffic because tankers and trailers already travel daily to the site.

Cllr Silvester has questioned this: “It says it’s going to be two million gallons so I find it very hard to believe that quantity is going on that land at present and he needs to provide some proof of that,” he said.

The Chronicle tried to clarify this yesterday but the applicant’s agent is unavailable until tomorrow (Thursday).